Question #8ac35

1 Answer
Jun 18, 2015

Yes, this is an ester hydrolysis.

Explanation:

A lactone is simply a cyclic ester, so the mechanism for its hydrolysis is exactly the same as for a noncyclic ester.

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In this case, the structure of γ-butyrolactone is

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The hydrolysis product is 4-hydroxybutanoic acid:

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The alcohol group is acidic enough to react with "LiAlH"_4.

When you reduce the product, remember to add enough extra "LiAlH"_4 to react with the alcohol group as well